With all due respect to all the anesthesiologists who read this forum and not to be disrespectful to anyone here, I would be extremely grateful if someone (hopefully an MDA attending) could give me some input which could help me with my career choice. Thank you very much...................................
I hope all is well for everyone in the forum. I am a fourth year medical student at a school in the southeast and am an avid reader of the info on the Anesthesiology Forum because I am considering Anesthesiology as a career.
I recently completed a rotation in Anesthesia and LOVED it-- I liked being in the OR, doing procedures, the short but rewarding relationships with patients, the technology (all the gizmos and gadgets), the instant gratification gained from the wonders of pharmacology, etc......
However, I feel desparately confused about the future-- given the fact that the baby boomers are getting older Medicare/Medicaid is going to feel a pinch due to the rising cost of health care and the increased demand for healthcare services from the public-- Now my question is where you guys see Anesthesiology going (given the amazing new technology that has made anesthesia increasingly safe over the past few years) and given the issue of CRNAs (I am sorry to bring up the CRNA issue-- I have read about it extensively on this site, but feel compelled to bring it up again given what is written above about CRNAs "opting out" in some states)? Also, do you guys feel concerned about the possibility of CRNAs gaining more rights to practice alone given the technology that has made anesthesia so safe in recent years? In addition, is the Anesthesiology professional organization working on some laws that will make the future for MD anesthesiologist brighter (in terms of job security, namely the CRNA thing (sorry for bringing that up again)? Thanks
Desparate and Confused in the South East